


Plod

by sunnyamazing



Category: Bodyguard (TV 2018)
Genre: Canon Universe, F/M, Introspection, POV Female Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-14
Updated: 2019-10-14
Packaged: 2020-12-16 02:17:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,877
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21028634
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunnyamazing/pseuds/sunnyamazing
Summary: She hates that she still knows that about him, she’d much rather she remembered nothing of their dysfunctional marriage, but unfortunately many of the memories remain.“You work for us Plod, so wind your neck in.”Julia's perspective of her confrontation with Roger.





	Plod

> **Plod**
> 
> noun; informal British slang, a police officer, not a very good one.

As the car slows, her head rises from the paperwork that Rob has been enthusiastically talking to her about on their way to Parliament. Before the car is even stationary, PS Budd has his car door open and begins to move towards the back of the car to open the door for her.

Rob climbs from his seat, he is still talking as he leaves, before he stops for a moment when he thankfully realises that she cannot hear what he is saying any longer. Rob rounds the back of the car as PS Budd opens her door, she can hear him announcing her arrival. “Sierra Zulu Seven-Nine, Lavender inbound.” He explains into the earpiece attached to the side of his suit jacket. 

She lets out a small sigh as she climbs from the back of the vehicle, Rob is beside her again, but in the distance just in front of her, she can see the all too familiar figure of her ex-husband. He glares at her, but she does not respond. She pretends she cannot see him. She has no time for whatever he has to say to her. His incessant phone calls lately have been enough.

“This is a breakdown of the additional powers sought by …” Rob begins to explain to her, holding out more paper, but he doesn’t get to finish his sentence. She looks to the side as Roger moves closer, she still refuses to glance his way.

“Mind if I steal your boss for a minute, Rob?” Roger questions as Julia hears the car door close behind her.

She lets out a sigh, typical Roger, talking about her, instead of to her. As if she needs permission from Rob to have a conversation with someone.

Rob looks at her with a look of concern, “Uh, sure. See you inside.” He tells her and then he makes his hasty exit away from her. She doesn’t blame him, if she was in his shoes, she would _probably_, actually _definitely_ do the same.

She can hear the shuffle of PS Budd’s feet behind her and slowly she turns her head to face Roger, he stares at her and wastes no time in beginning his interrogation. “Interesting TV interview,” he begins, as she purses her lips towards him, “You must be very proud.”

She stares at him now; his petulance irritates her and she can feel that he wants a reaction from her. She has an inkling of what she thinks he would like her to say and she also knows what she thinks she’d like to say. Something along the lines of, “why thank you Roger, I thought I did well too.”

But she will not give him the satisfaction, she will not rise to his petulance, she’d done enough of that when they were married. The one-upmanship, the constant competition between the two of them and his annoyance when most of the time she won and he lost and he couldn’t handle the fact that she, the woman in the relationship ended up with some of the power.

“I’d really like to get into the chamber, if that’s all right with you, Roger.” She says to him instead, her voice calm and measured. No sign of pesky emotions towards him, she doesn’t rise to his challenge. 

They are inches apart now, she holds her papers close to her chest as he continues to challenge her, her head tilts to the side.

“Planning on hijacking the counter terror debate for a bit more shameless self-promotion?” 

She watches as his lips move, as his words begin to challenge her, the way he speaks to her, as if she is something bad on the bottom of his shoe. 

This is why she doesn’t answer his calls, all this, seems so very pointless.

They can never be civil, despite how much she tries to ignore his comments.

Despite the fact that they have to work together, some of the time.

“Is there a point to this conversation?” She questions back, some anger creeping into her voice as her head nods up and down. She would love to know the reason for this confrontation, he has clearly been awaiting her arrival. The sooner he spits out what he wants, the sooner she can get away from him.

“Why aren’t you returning my calls.” He tells her, as if her not calling him back is a hanging offence, she almost laughs, maybe she’s hurt his fragile ego. But there was a time when she used to call him and he never answered, he’d been too busy running around with other women that weren’t her.

She’s about to make a response back, when she hears the accent behind her. “Pardon me ma’am, for security reasons I’d prefer if you moved indoors.” PS Budd tells her and Roger’s attention moves quickly from her to behind her as he now narrows his eyes at her PPO. 

The faintest of smile crosses her lips, the timing of his interruption was perfect and for a second, she wonders what he thinks of this conversation, wonders if he was someone who read from cover to cover about the dramatic end of hers and Roger’s marriage. Or if in fact he could not care less and is only concerned about getting her inside and out of the open where she could be in danger. After all, protecting her is his job, keeping her away from danger. She wonders if that includes keeping petulant ex-husbands away too. 

“You work for us Plod, so wind your neck in.” Roger retorts, before his attention turns back to her. He takes another step closer to her, he’s close enough now that she can smell the coffee on his breath, she thinks he would have had at least three by this time of the day. She hates that she still knows that about him, she’d much rather she remembered nothing of their dysfunctional marriage, but unfortunately many of the memories remain.

“I’m the fucking Chief Whip, and when I call you answer.” He glares at her now, but she doesn’t look away, she will not give him the satisfaction of looking away. “We claim the centre ground, but you’re heading off-piste.”

She almost wants to scoff at him, maybe that’s the problem. They’ve got countless enemies after them and no one seems to want to do something that might help prevent attacks coming to fruition. Hell, there mightn’t be an off-duty police officer on the train the next time. The plod he so annoyingly dismissed a few seconds ago might have more skills than the others in his profession and the country mightn’t be so lucky, next time; and there will be a next time, of that she is sure.

She lowers her voice, “the PM can count on my full support.” She tells Roger carefully, a slight nod of her head, Roger’s coffee breath still cloyingly close to her face.

“Bullshit. He’s weakened.” Roger begins, his head nodding once, and for the first time in a long time she realises that she and Roger might actually agree on something, “You’re making a move for the leadership.” 

She has no chance to reply as PS Budd interrupts again, she’d almost forgotten that he was there, her attention being focused on Roger and how being formerly married to the Chief Whip can make for an interesting work life. When they have any conversation, work related or not, it seems too easy to slip into the role of divorced couple, who cannot speak to one another without contempt. It makes for frustration sure, but sometimes it can also make for loneliness.

“Sir, ma’am. I really do need you both to move inside.” He explains, a little more forcefully than before and she can feel that he has taken one step closer to the two of them. 

But this time Roger ignores him, speaking to her still instead, “can’t you call your monkey off? Throw him some nuts.”

Not for the first time, Julia wonders exactly what she saw in him and how she’d even agreed to marry him at all. He’d always done this, throw around cheap insults. Quite often they’d even been directed at her and they were even better if he’d had an audience to watch. She doesn’t expect PS Budd to reply, but before she can even think of a suitable retort, she hears his reply.

“I’m mixed race.” He says calmly, and Julia watches as Roger’s face drops and his head turns toward PS Budd, Roger has been silenced. He has no reply to her PPO’s comment. He just stares.

Her eyebrows raise and she takes a second to enjoy the silence as she watches Roger squirm on the spot. She looks down at him as his head tilts and he reaches for his phone. 

She takes her leave now, whilst Roger is too preoccupied with the possible consequences of his meant to be throwaway comment. She thinks it serves him right, some PPO’s would have let him speak to them like that. But not this new one of hers. He had retorted back.

He’s different. From his quick thinking just the other day with the shirt, to his quick reply back to Roger, just now. 

Julia is impressed, intrigued even. She takes one step to the side and then begins to move into the building, but she cannot help take one look at PS Budd as she does so. Her eyes flick to meet his and she watches as his lips turn up into the hint of a smile.

There is something about PS Budd.

Her heels click on the ground below her as she continues to where Rob has been waiting for her. Her intriguing PPO right behind her as he is meant to be and it appears not only in the physical sense, he’s someone she just might be able to rely on. 

“Are you …” she begins to question as she steps down towards Rob, her head turning backwards to look at the man who is following her, “bi racial?”

“No ma’am.” He replies with certainty, as the two of them walk side by side for a moment. She can feel him looking at her and for just a second there is something there between the two of them. Something passes between them. What it is, she doesn't completely know, but it is something. 

She cannot help but smile again, there is something about PS Budd. He’s no plod. She takes a few more steps in synchronicity with him before she remembers herself again and quickens her pace. “Right,” she begins as she catches up to Rob, “where were we?”

Rob replies, “right, great. This is a summary of the limitations in existing legislation.” He begins to explain as the three of them walk down the corridor.

She listens carefully, all the while with PS Budd close behind, mirroring her every step. It’s a strange feeling, one she hasn’t had in a long time.

The feeling that for the first time in a long time, she feels that she might actually have someone on her side. 

And that’s a feeling to hold on to.

**Author's Note:**

> It seems that I have become addicted to writing these Julia scenes. I think I'll continue!
> 
> Thank you for all the support :)


End file.
